Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1887-06-02


tie green rocking chair with rush bottom.
For one moment saw the chair standing
empty; tho next figure occupied 1.-THE
figure OF a young girl. Her hair, which
seemed to be golden. fell over her shoul-
ders. Her back was toward me, but / saw
that Ter figure was slight and pretty. Two
white hands were clasped together, and she
was rocking 10 and fro, and moaning in
strange, desolate sort OF way.
"This is odd." said ]. Some one has
come into the room by mistake, doubtless,
not knowing / was here" / coughed.
The young lady did not hear me. spoke:
Madam" said /, II presume you are
not aware lin fact, that / am here"
Then the figure arose. 1t turned toward
me, but again could not see its face. It's
back was 10 the moon. The outlines,
strangely familiar, was all / could discern.
The white robe that looked like shroud
trailed after it. The long hair foated
over it,
1 said to myself very calmly, "Were 1 q
superstitious person should consider this
q ghost"
And still it came nearer, nearer 1t was
very embarrassing.
MADAM" said again, moro loudly, II
presume you are aware that l am here?"
And q voice answered me-a voice 1
boeueu 10 nave nehru DeIOIC.
"Yes, am aware OF it. came because
knew it, came because 1 knew i'll"
Then che began TO moan again. She
stood beside the bed now, only few inches
from me. She stretched out her cold
hands. IL was time 10 do something.
Whoever she was, / saw that she was
dangerous. A maniac, perhaps. put my
hand under my pillow, where my pistol lay.
/ seized il.
Whoever you are" said ], II presume
you are thief, playing at ghost. Leave
the room. / give three seconds TO do it in.
count them; at the third count tire.
One-two-three."
As said one she retreated, pointing at
me. As 1 counted two she drew still fur
ther off. AS / cried three she was gonel
lit that kerosene lamp and examined the
room. The door was shut and locked on
the inside; the windows fastened down with
nails, as all windows are in rural houses.
looked behind the boxes and barrels and
gowns. felt the floor; there was no trap
door. Yet she was gone.
IF had heen n superstitious idiot /
should have said that / had seen a spirit.
As it was, being practical man, l at once
argued with myself. Tough fried ham
and something called "Injun puddin,"
whatever it may have been. had given me
nightmare, u ulRnLu1hIo III III unuSuul
former, doubtless-a fair young girl in
white, instead Of Othello or O black dog.
There were exceptions to every rule. l had
q white nightmare in place OF black one.
that was all.
Again / put out my kerosene lamp.
Again l fitted myself between the corn
cobs. Again / slept. Again / woke. to
find a fgure-the same fgure-bending
over me. II was moaning still; but this
time it was doing more. Two hands, as
cold as ice, we're about my throat, press
ing hard upon 1t. ! was being choked to
death.
"What are you doing2" cried I, catching
at my pistol again.
The cold hands dropped away. The
figure retreated, vanished, as before. /
made new search, and argued with my
self again. Nightmares always choke me,
said /. my white nightmare only did as
others do" But this time, though fitted
myself in among the corn-cobs again,
found it harder to sleep, and8bouRh slept
at last, ! awakened very soon-again with
hand at my throat, and voice moaning
softly: "Let me rest in my grave. do
not want to kill him. Let me rest"
My pistol once more drove the white fig
ure away. But q nightmare was q more
serious thing than had imagined. Had
ever been fool enough to drink too much,
should have fancied myself the victim of
delirium tremens. But ghost BAIL I
gave no admittance TO that thought for q
moment. If the voice, the figure, the fall
ing hair, the touch Of the little hands, cold
had known long ago-tbat was part of my
disordered condition. "Never ngain, said
j, "will partake of that awful Dish, 'Injun
puddin',' with M lasses. Never"
sat up after that and saw the sun rise
for the first time in my existence. IL was
chilly operation, as uncomfortable as most
things are that are considered meritorious;
cold baths and Graham diet, for instance.
I've never done It since. An awful horn
footed us down to breakfast. which was
principally fat pork. WhenI came down
the good woman Of the house. already in
visible at the end Of q sun-bonnet, was
talking to Bradley, who is did tell you?
an author, q writer Of friphtful stories in
newspapers. She had found him out
"To think 1t should b, you," she said.
"You don't look bit like / thought. l
guessed you had big black eyes and an ele-
CANT fgger, but, lor, You can't help that
and how did look out for the next number,
while 'Elgira, or Fortunes Victim, was be-
ing published. read it every word, and
when she died Of love / cried. / didn't
use 10 DolieV0 IOlkb uleu OF iOVe Ouco-
+but--lemme see-I guess it was fifteen
years ago, knew case in actual life.
Yes. sir. You could have made q story OF
1t, no doubt, She died in this house. in
the north room-as pretty creature as ever
you saw. Her eyes we're, OH how brown,
and such lovely golden hairl Her father
brought her out here one summer"
"'Mrs. Regan,' says he, I'm afraid my
girl is in decline, but we hope something
from country oir.'
Says /, Well do what We can, and
mountain air is best OF any, sir.
"But pretty soon l saw that there was
more than sickness 10 deal with. The night
she died she told me. Yes, sir; il was q
love affair. lie had Tilted her because her
father lost hi, money. He'd failed, tho
old gentleman had. Il loved him SO
much, said she. Il thought him so brave
and true, and so fond OF me, and it was oil
mockery-every look lie, every kiss an
insult, since il did not como from his
heart
"'But you should forget such rascal.
You should not go on loving fellow like
that said 1. Then she sat mp in bed; l
shall mover forget it. 'Oh, Mrs. Regnnr
she said, it is just hiatt is that b we
grown TO hate him so that l lie oil night
wishing that could kill him, hating him
as / never hated nnythng before. Some
times / think / shall come back from the
other world to do il. Ghosts are permit cd
to kill their murderers, they say, and he
has murdered me. Yes. lie has killed me;
not only my body, but all the Lood, sweet,
hcautifnl feelinoa I once Ind Thay oil